There will be blood (2007)

Based on the book 'Oil' by Upton Sinclair 'There Will be Blood' tells the story of a man building a large empire from Oil mining. It is a film that mesmerises and perplexes in equal quantity.

On paper this is a simple affair but the tale unfolds into the story of a man blacker than any oil the earth has. Along the way we delve into family, greed, money, and eventually sheer madness.

The main element which holds the film together is the over-whelming performance from Daniel-Day Lewis. The British actor has transformed his entire psyche and is almost unrecognisable. He has altered the way he walks, talks, and even looks. One of the films two Oscars was awarded to Lewis. He plays the films protagonist, Daniel Plainview - an oil prospector with an insatiable thirst for all things oil.

Paul Dano is young but does his best to keep up with Lewis' on screen persona. He leaves the picture with heaps of credibility and as the preacher of the oil-soaked lands exudes a confidence and certain eloquence. The physical dominance of Lewis over Dano makes for an interesting battle and the warfare becomes one of the mind as well.

The score is sparse but deeply effective when it rears its head. The varied use of percussion and psychotic strings are used to distort us further into Plainview's land.

Paul Anderson has a unique eye that has the ability to create a wide and absorbing landscape. The director can also build a story around a relatively small script. This again is credit to the actors.

Anderson is also a director who releases work sporadically and does not attempt to juggle multiple projects. This certainly enables him to focus on one film and certainly focuses him to create masterpieces.

The turn of the 20^th century is perfectly crafted and recreated with effective costume and set designs. The barrenness of the small towns are made clear and the effect of industry and subsequent growth is also replicated.

The significance of the oil industry is still present today and plays a no less dominant role in the building of fortunes and empires. With Middle East disputes still ticking away today the story is still a relevant and detailed depiction of the greed and near insanity created from the devils blood.

The film is lengthy and borders into difficult and warped territory. This is not viewing for all and many people will be left feeling perplexed and slightly drained from the experience.

Critics loved the film and so did many other people who watched it. Anderson does not create larger than life box-office sell-outs and films like this can sometimes make a loss. They do however stand the test of time and show the possibilities of great cinema.

God Bless America (2011)

The land of patriotism and macho back-slapping is being brought into question like never before. The voice of those unhappy with the 'American dream' are still the minority but are slowly growing in force. God Bless America is directed by the sprightly named Bobcat Goldthwait and follows the growing ilk of stories telling us about a disenchanted soul from the American land.

The film stars Joel Murray as Frank Murdoch, an overweight office worker who has a child that hates him, an ex-wife who doesn’t respect him, and a job he loathes. Tara Barr plays Roxy, a young teenager who comes from a family that abuses and rapes her almost daily.

The background stories make for a cheerful bunch and the duo are thrust onto each other and become a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. The duo are an odd pairing, which is part of the films strengths. The story also tries to alleviate any sexual chemistry between the two but inevitably tinkers with a degree of attraction. Both actors impress throughout and fully commit to the experience. However, the bloated ageing man accompanied by a young girl is becoming all to familiar. It's like a Mcdonald's version of Leon.

There are actually a number of films in recent years that have questioned American culture so this is by no means alone. God Bless America rightly sets out to berate modern culture and demands us to pay each other with a little more courtesy and respect. You only have to flick through MTV and Viva to see some loose women tearing shreds out of each other whilst greased up men watch on in delight. We can almost sympathise with the duo and we've all thought about emptying a clip of bullets into the bratty teens on My Super Sweet 16.

If you're watching this film you will also probably agree with its message but rather than just telling you how not to be it also includes long lists of things that we are meant to approve of - like Alice Cooper. Well what if you also don't like Alice Cooper? Does that make you next on the kill list? Where do you fit in the battle of glam rock vs teen queens?

Films are at the their best when they inform or create debate, here we are preached to. What speaks loudest in the film is the directors voice and it overrides what could have been a brilliant cult offering. I've never been quite so overwhelmed by a debate and at times wished for Roxy and Frank to end it all. Bobcat is obviously passionate about the subject matter, but ultimately delivers a very one-sided argument. The premise promised so much but the delivery is strung out amongst a series of over played rants. Whilst telling us not to conform the characters are also telling us what to do which is counter-productive.

The culture and world the film speaks of certainly is loud and aggressive but it has nonetheless creeped its way into every home through a drip feed straight into our living rooms. Is TV to blame? It certainly hasn’t helped but perhaps it has only reflected what is happening outside our four walls.

If I was more of a cynic I might also suggest that the gorier moments in the film are merely in place to shock, but I do hope it's actually used to reflect the real horror and pointlessness of the celebrity world.

If you're still tired of bitchy, pink, and tanned pop culture and want to see it destroyed then I recommend you join Project Mayhem and stick to Fight Club.

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Before the pubescent tides of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries there was Neil Jordan's' interview with the vampire. The film was based on Anne Rice's same named book from the Vampire chronicles.

Ever since Buffy waged war on vampires whilst graduating college the Gothic knights have lost their way. But not here. There are no half-breeds and there are no treaties with humans. Only the hapless collision between a superior race and an ever weakening one. 

Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise star in this engaging blood-fest which sees a return to the classic tales of aristocratic and elegant creatures who stalk their weak prey.

The story begins in early 1600 and is set amongst the backdrop of the rich slave worked fields and lands of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt). A troubled aristocrat who has recently lost his wife and child, mourns their loss with each passing day. He seeks out his own demise and sprays his money away on whores and liquor. His quest for death is granted by Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise), or so he thinks. For when he dies a mortal death he passes into an immortal life.

Cruise excels as the egotistical and callous Lestat de Lioncourt. The headline grabbing Scientologist is too often forgotten as a powerhouse actor. He consistently turns out brilliant performances in varied roles and should be judged on that alone. 

The two a-listers have a great chemistry and the film is laced with homo-erotic undertones. Their pouting mouths and beauty ensure they easily ensnare willing victims.

Kirsten Dunst appears in one of her earliest roles and shows real acting pedigree. Her performance confirms her ability as an actress at a very young age, one scene in particular she goes toe to fang with Cruise and Pitt, and she holds her own with youthful ease.

More recent vampire features have steered away from the classical vision of the pale blood suckers. Bram Stokers Dracula has been replaced by moody walkers of the night who enjoy standing alongside their human counterparts and also engaging in meaningful relationships.

Ideas always have to be developed and changed, this is inevitable. It just seems a shame for the creatures of the night to lose their sophistication. What also seems strange is writers attempts to humanise them. Turning vampires into caring individuals who subsequently have a taste for blood makes waste of their function as a seductive force of evil.

Rubber (2010)

Some films are considered all the more ridiculous because they take themselves seriously but in reality, are cosmic light years away from being a competent piece of cinema. Rubber is a film which states from the outset that it is based on nothing but nonsense.  

The movie tells the story of a disgruntled tyre that has psychokinetic powers. It mostly uses these powers in a destructive fashion. There lies the majority of the story and if any more was to be divulged then it would ruin the journey that the film takes.  There is also another element to the film which offers a unique perspective, one that I have never seen on screen before. This perspective is based on an actual audience existing within the film itself. This will be fully realised and understood on viewing. 

The acting is wholly efficient, particularly Lieutenant Chad, played by Stephen Spinella. Jack Plotnick also impresses with his turn as the accountant. 

Accompanying the mayhem on screen are the funky electric beats of Mr Oizo, who is better known as Quentin Dupieux. Some of those old enough to remember will know of Mr Oizo as he was a number one hit maker with the yellow puppet Flat Eric in 1999, and the song was also featured in the Levi's jeans adverts. Dupieux also directed the film so his creativity is quite apparent and his quirky French mind is obviously full of distorted visions. 

 If nonsense is your bag then Rubber is the film for you. If you pick holes in cinema and enjoy finding flaws in intricate plot lines then you're whinings are not welcome in such zany areas of entertainment. This is care free cinema but never underestimate its creativity. 

The Insider (1999)

Pursed lips suck through the padded butt of a cigarette, regardless of consequence. Their lungs are then lined with tar and thick smoke all because of an addiction. The multi-billion pound tobacco industry is responsible for supplying us with these white sticks, and also for the deaths of countless people. Yet the business keeps rolling on. Should we be given information objectively?  Are we unknowingly being fed an addictive drug as corporate big-wigs smoke the profits?

The Insider depicts the true life account of Jeffrey Wigand played by Russell Crowe. Wigand was a former vice president of research and development at Brown & Williamson. He became a whistleblower when he publicly questioned his former company in regards to them making their cigarettes more addictive. What culminated were the destructive powers of major corporations and their attempts to mute truthful news.

Wigand is grey and inwardly shy but determined and outwardly firm. Whether Crowe is swinging swords or golf-clubs, he does so with a towering dominance and the film is in his pocket for the first half. Crowe is the films superhero, if only by build, but his very presence is anti-hero. He is rightly noted for his aggressive qualities because the testosterone seeps through the screen like a ticking watch of destruction.

Al Pacino is also on the quest for righteousness, whilst getting pissed off and curious with his trademark gusto. He plays Lowell Bergman, a producer from CBS show 60 minutes. Bergman is the stories catalyst and he convinces Wigand to blow the smoke on the tobacco industry. The second half of the film is Al Pacino’s as he tries to battle for Wigand’s account to be aired. He is a journalist with a heart and has built a career on integrity and honesty. Even without his machine gun Pacino still shoots quick-fire insults like the seasoned veteran he is.

Michael Gambon plays CEO Thomas Sandfeur of Brown & Williamson. His bellowing tones are wasted with a misguided turn as a Texan. He does have the demeanour of a company executive but his vocal cords have the construction of a British corporal. Christopher Wallace is also in the cast as Mike Wallace, an interviewer for 60 minutes.  His role as an ageing reporter with a reputation to maintain is impressive and some of the films only humorous moments are reserved for him.

Michael Mann is in the director’s chair although he rarely sits still. The camera is whisked around the screen and gives the viewer a voyeuristic vision of the action. The lens is sometimes so close to the actor it’s a miracle there were no bruised faces. This style has become synonymous with Mann’s work. He has injected an electric pulse into his films that has seen him scoop various awards, including four academy award nominations for The Insider.

Marie Brennar and Eric Roth wrote the film with Mann. Roth has created some of Hollywood’s most absorbing stories including Forrest Gump and Munich. The Insider has been criticised for over-dramatizing some of the events. It’s never going to be flavour of the month when defiling an industry and those who work within it, but most of the events have been confirmed. What rises from the real-life tale is the lengths that a company will go to stop the truth being revealed, a truth that could end the cycle of addiction and prevent a cloud entering into the homes of so many people.   

Warrior (2011)

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is the fighting style of choice in the 21^st century, it provides the level of aggression people need to be entertained by in the Internet age. Warrior then is a Rocky wannabe for our current generation, bulging its biceps and pounding the senses of sport-movie fans.

Gavin O'Connor (Miracle, Pride and Glory) directs and he is certainly a lesser-known name in the directors’ circle. Through this feature though he does show his capability of handling material and may go on to bigger projects in the future.

The film tells the story of an MMA tournament that has a prize fund of $5 million dollars. Two brothers separated when their parents divorce enter the contest not knowing they will be reunited through the winner takes all contest. Starring in the fight-fest is Tom Hardy who plays troubled former marine Tommy Conlon, he is fighting for a fallen comrades wife. Tommys’ brother Brendan is played by Australian tough guy Russell Crowe, sorry Joel Edgerton. Brendan needs the prize money in order to keep his family home. Supporting the brothers is Nick Nolte whose dishevelled face perfectly fits the role of the neglectful father, Paddy Conlon. The writers have really gone to town on the emotional back-story and the dvd comes with an American flag to wipe the tears away with.

Most sports films follow a similar formula and Warrior is certainly no different. It does however deliver this formula with more tenacity and interest than others, whilst unashamedly piling on the emotional baggage. The final scenes and the human elements of the tale are undeniably enjoyable, mixed in together with a rousing soundtrack and solid acting performances we are provided with a greased up macho-fest of solid proportions.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

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Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) directs the latest entry in the Mission Impossible franchise. A strange choice as he has only previously worked on animated productions.

Tom Cruise is still the main player in the film as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. Cruise is supported this time by Simon Pegg who plays the comical and clumsy sidekick Benji Dunn, Pegg did feature in MI:3 but this time has a much more prominent role. Paula Patton packs the female punch and firm legged sexuality because no spy film is complete without bums and tums. Jeremy Renner, currently one of Hollywood’s busiest men, co-stars as an analyst for the American government.

MI:4 ticks all the action boxes with well-constructed sets and engaging sequences. Where lies the problem is the balance and films tone. The presence of comedy has not been evident in the previous films and here it is lavishly spread amongst the chaos. When humour is added to the mix an action flick can lose its power, especially when the comical moments make light of any tension created. With Ghost Protocol we are able to see a movie that has been made to entertain the masses and drag in the 12a audience.

Regardless of this the film does entertain and some of the action sequences and sets are well thought out and creative. With mega bucks and a strong cast it is always going to be a safe bet for a mindless cinema outing. It has also performed well at the box office and is the highest grossing instalment in the series which will certainly encourage company execs to whisk up another outing.

Martyrs (2008)

A screaming child runs from an abattoir, down a road, bare-footed and blood-soaked. Not a particularly original opening sequence but what follows is one of the most arduous and difficult journeys in recent cinema history.

The film is directed by Pascal Laugier. Another twisted director emerging with the wave of creative French horror. Laugier has moulded a vision which will be remembered alongside the most disturbed in the movie time-line.

Troubled Lucie played by Mylene Jampanoi is taken under the protective wing of Anna, played by Morjana Alaoui, when they meet in an orphanage. Anna is the child who escaped from the abattoir and is now plagued by a disfigured woman who sporadically attacks and inflicts pain upon her. The story moves on fifteen years later and what begins as a tale of revenge soon plummets into a relentless vision of depravity and sorrow. A cloud of darkness envelopes the screen and never leaves. In most horror films we have numerous moments to rest our weary minds and the mindless hacking of teenage body parts is broken up with dialogue or moments of light comedy. Not here. The story continues to delves deeper and deeper into the pits of despair and there is never any let up. Upon the final moments we have had the life sourced from our veins and have prepared a home-made noose to finish the job.

Some may enjoy the thick tar of depression which layers the films and the horror genre is not for everyone, as much as a Jennifer Lopez rom-com isn't either. However Martyrs will really test the strength of even though most steel-plated stomachs. This is also the films let down. There is little enjoyment to be had. Sure there is a level of creativity and this has set a new benchmark in grim movie making, it just begs the question why?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the latest in a long line of book-to-film adaptions. It is a modern day murder mystery with a darker setting, like a nuclear winter in Midsomer.

David Fincher (Social Network, Fight Club) brings us the English interpretation of the book by deceased author Stieg Larsson. The book was originally produced into a Swedish film back in 2009.

Daniel Craig has a licence to report as Mikael Blomkvist and his rugged looks are perfect for the troubled journalist role. He also drinks at a rate Oliver Reed would frown at, his methylated breath could probably melt the polar ice cap. Rooney Mara plays Lisbeth Salander, a character which shatters the mould when it comes to any hero or heroine. We see Lisbeth as both victim and perpetrator, a confidently bisexual woman who also shudders at the slightest touch. Larsson has created a genuinely interesting icon and although he will not be able to enjoy his success, like the ear-less Van Gough, a legacy has been formed instead. Other actors towing the line are Christopher Plummer, Steven Berkoff and Joely Richardson.

As you might expect with Fincher's work the film is shot through the eyes of a bleary grey landscape. All that is captured through the camera lens looks dead, dried and bleak. The real fire that burns is that within the eyes of the characters.

There are uncomfortable moments particularly with a rape scene which brings a new meaning to the phrase “only giving to receive”. Partnering the darker imagery is an uncomfortable soundtrack which layers the film with similar desolation.

The running time is set at nearly three hours. This will be too long for those who seek out a quick butt-slapping thrill ride but to those who appreciate a well crafted story the ride will be well worth the wait.

The Paper (1994)

Hard-work and balls. That is all a man needs to make it as a top journalist. They also come in handy when making babies, and both jobs are the topic in Ron Howard’s (Da Vinci Code) 1994 film.

The Paper has some real world credibility. Co-screenwriter Stephen Koepp is the editor of Fortune Magazine. His partner in writing crime David Koepp has gone on to write some of the silver screen’s biggest productions, including Spider-Man, Men in Black, and War of the Worlds.

The film starts with a clock and the ticking timeline of an unfolding story. The ringing of phones and quick-fire comments on screen are used to outline the rumble tumble of the journos’ world. The films stars a small collection of Hollywood regulars and golden statue owners. Caped crusader Michael Keaton leads with his on-the-edge style as Henry Hackett. His bulbous and pregnant wife is played by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei. Publisher Bernie White is portrayed by stalwart Robert Duvall, minus the napalm. Other familiar faces are Randy Quaid as Michael Mcdougal and ballsy bunny boiler Glenn Close playing Alicia Clark. The movie is certainly not an advert for a budding journalist due to the varied downfalls of the characters. They play out the highs of the newsroom but it is evident the work-life balance is certainly swaying towards personal meltdown.

The Jack Bauer-esque interpretation is produced by Brian Grazer who more recently produced the Kiefer Sutherland hit TV show 24. The ticking time bomb element of the journalist’s day is ever present. The face of a ticking clock is shown on more than one occasion and watched through a seething glaze.

The Paper shifts from drama to comedy confidently and the film can’t help but be over sensationalist - shooting guns in newsrooms embodies this. Whilst that makes it entertaining it also makes it a little less believable. It does however have some industry insight and serves as a perfectly entertaining peep into a New York tabloid.